It's the Truest Things that Make the Funny (Claim of the Day, Aug 15, '07)

Today's Daily Journal features an article by Bobby Harrison on Jamie Franks Jr. It's glowing, let me assure you. Apparently Bobby failed to ask a question that Mr. Franks didn't see coming from the Mansion on the Hill. Hey Bobby, two words: Jeremy Martin. Look 'em up. But tucked away at the bottom of the article is another one of the whoppers he's known to tell about his accomplishments. Apparently, North Mississippi Medical Center (a recipient of an award earlier this year as a top hospital in the country-that's the US, not Lee County-from the Vice President) is only a good hospital today because he and Steve Holland made them get better. Apparently their improvements were meteoric, going from a hospital in need of competition-nay, even closure-to a top-tier one. Thanks Franks! The care at NMMC has always been good. It's their customer service that's been lacking. As sociologist Dr. Vaughn Grisham at Ole Miss says, Tupelo has a good hospital because Tupelo wants a good hospital. There's your claim of the day, right there-and I didn't even make this one up. Also, the Senate is going to look like Mississippi-which will probably strangely become Democratic when all is said and done. I imagine Alan Nunnellee isn't relishing his role in a Franks-run Senate. The best line is the one about 'being his own man.' Yeah, I bet he and his sponsors are laughing all the way to the bank on that one. Electing Franks means that both houses in the legislature are controlled by people who are in the business of beef plants. I think we all remember how that one turned out, don't we? *Edited for a misquote-though Mr. Franks did vote to table the Tort package when it came up for a vote in the House. That makes his claims of not wanting it rolled back dubious at best. I hope all the previously-listed trial lawyers aren't disappointed that their trophy boy is selling them out-if he's to be believed. Or Bobby Harrison, who's notoriously bad at quotes.